We've been working with Senators Kerry and Lugar, who have promised to lead I-VAWA through the Senate.
And the Obama Administration has already taken
historic measures this year to raise the issue of violence against women by:
- Creating a State Department Office for Global Women's Issues
- Appointing a White House Advisor on Violence Against Women, and
- Creating the White House Council on Women and Girls
But the bottom line is
I-VAWA has still not been reintroduced.A little pressure from the top can go a long way in advancing this important legislation when Congress returns in September.
President Obama and Vice President Biden championed I-VAWA as Senators. So we know that their support is there.
Given the long list of priorities that Congress has to tackle this fall, we can't allow women's human rights to be pushed to the back-burner once again.
We were so close last year, but the opportunity slipped through our hands. Even with all of the bi-partisan support we generated, I-VAWA never reached the Senate floor for a vote.
But this year, we're determined to make it happen.
We need at least 5,000 signatures on our petition to the President and Vice President to
show strong grassroots support for a coordinated U.S. government effort to stop the global crisis of violence against women and girls.If we really want to
stop violence against women, then we'll need to
start protecting women's human rights.Sign our petition and share it with someone who supports women's human rights.In Solidarity,
Betsy Wright
HawkingsDeputy Executive Director, Research & Policy
Amnesty International USA